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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28253535">you were always right beside me</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/xogray/pseuds/xogray'>xogray</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>percabeth oneshots [46]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Compliant, Cuddling &amp; Snuggling, F/M, Fluff, Post-The Heroes of Olympus</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 19:14:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,197</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28253535</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/xogray/pseuds/xogray</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"do you ever think about how a few years ago we were in literal hell?”</p>
<p>“and now this feels like elysium itself?”</p>
<p>because truly, it did. these quiet moments with him were a personal heaven for her and she felt blessed that she was alive to experience them.</p>
<p>- or the one in which they're just happy to be alive and together.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>percabeth oneshots [46]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1839274</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>109</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>you were always right beside me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>based on <a href="https://windbyfire.tumblr.com/post/636886554870169600/do-you-guys-think-they-talk-a-lot-about-the-past">this post</a></p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>for the longest time, love was something annabeth had thought was unobtainable for herself. she’d convinced herself that she could never have it. maybe because she didn’t deserve it or she wasn’t capable of being loved. it seemed that way, at least, with everyone in her past leaving her. and she’d grown to accept this.</p>
<p>and then percy jackson showed up at camp, knocked out, with drool coming from the corner of his mouth. at the time, she’d known he was special, being the obvious child of the prophecy and all, but gods, if she’d known then just <em> how </em> special he’d become to her over the next few years.</p>
<p>when the idiot finally kissed her and asked her to be his girlfriend, annabeth was over the moon. for the first time in years, she felt like maybe, just <em> maybe</em>, she had a shot at this whole love thing. because percy loved fiercely. his friends, his family, <em>her</em>. not only did he make her feel loved, he made her feel worthy of love. an impossible task in annabeth’s mind.</p>
<p>her world came crashing down painfully fast after four short months when percy disappeared into thin air. she was desperate to find him. one of the few very good things in her life, one of the few things she’d wanted to be permanent, gone just like that.</p>
<p>when they found each other six agonizing months later, she truly felt invincible for a moment. like she’d bathed in the river styx instead of percy the year before. her feelings for him had only grown stronger from his absence and when he wrapped his arms around her again for the first time, she could <em> feel </em> his love for her too. gods, she would’ve given anything to steal him away and keep them both somewhere safe if she’d known what was coming.</p>
<p>annabeth knew demigods had hard lives, she’d had a hard life herself so far. she’d never expected anything to come easy for her. however, she also never expected to walk through tartarus with the one person she loved with her whole being. gods of olympus, she knew demigods had hard lives, but what the <em> fuck</em>? three years had passed since she and percy escaped there and she still couldn’t wrap her mind around it. and had it not been for percy, she wouldn’t have escaped. she’s more than certain she would’ve died down there.</p>
<p>but neither of them did, by some miracle. and though she silently cursed the gods on a regular basis for putting them through that, she’s more and more grateful each day that they escaped.</p>
<p>because now, since the gods had put them through that and brought the greeks and romans together, annabeth was in a city safe for demigods to grow old and live their lives peacefully. a luxury she never could have dreamed of at camp half-blood. and the best part of all of it was that percy was right there beside her. in new rome, in college, and in life.</p>
<p>and currently, he was right there beside her on <em> their </em> couch. in <em> their </em> apartment.</p>
<p>his arm was around her as she curled up next to him and his eyes were trained on the tv, watching something that didn’t interest annabeth in the slightest. her gaze was solely on him as she rested her head back on the arm that was heavy around her shoulders. she studied him, something she did fairly often, just because she could.</p>
<p>he’d always been attractive but gods, he grew into his looks more than she’d ever thought possible. his dark hair was always pushed back now unless it was first thing in the morning or right after a shower. his tan skin glowed and he had some newly developed freckles across his nose and cheeks that she loved to count. his eyes were always the same unchanging sea-green that had quickly become her favorite color over the last few years. he was stunning and she still had no idea how he was all hers.</p>
<p>“hey,” she whispered. his attention immediately diverted from the screen as he looked at her. annabeth lifted her head so she could see him properly and a smile broke out across his face instantly.</p>
<p>“hey,” he replied. his hand slid from her shoulder down her back until it rested above the band of her sweatpants. “what’s up?” he asked quietly.</p>
<p>“just thinkin’” she shrugged. percy smiled and rested his elbow on the arm of the couch, placing his hand on the back of his head to hold it up as he looked at her.</p>
<p>“you’re always thinking,” he said, his voice dripping with affection. it never failed to amaze her just how much she could tell he loved her, even from something as simple as saying a few words to her or looking at her a certain way. “what’s going on in that head of yours, wise girl?”</p>
<p>annabeth smiled, rolling her eyes fondly at the name. they rarely used those nicknames anymore but he’d slip it into conversation from time to time and it always made her heart stutter as she was reminded about growing up with him. her hand slid up his chest until it rested on the side of his neck, her thumb running lightly over the line of his jaw.</p>
<p>“just…” she started quietly, taking in the adoration and pure love in his eyes. “do you ever think about how a few years ago we were in literal hell?”</p>
<p>he nodded slowly and it was like he read her mind as he said, “and now this feels like elysium itself?”</p>
<p>because truly, it did. these quiet moments with him were a personal heaven for her and she felt blessed that she was alive to experience them.</p>
<p>“yeah,” she breathed.</p>
<p>percy leaned forward and kissed her forehead once, then her lips once. “i do,” he said gently. “a lot.”</p>
<p>“a lot?” she questioned. she believed him, of course, but she wanted to know just how much “a lot” was.</p>
<p>“every single time i look at you, i’m reminded of the fact that we’re here and we’re together. that’s all i need,” he said quietly. “that’s elysium for me.”</p>
<p>a little part of her felt like crying just from the overwhelming amount of love she felt. not only the love she felt for him, but the love she felt from him too. he never needed to do anything specific to make her feel loved. it was just something he did. it had happened so gradually over the years, but somehow, he’d made her believe she was deserving of love. worthy of it. and because of that, she accepted every ounce of love from him and gave him just as much in return.</p>
<p>annabeth pulled him closer gently and kissed him, pouring every emotion she felt into it. gratitude, contentment, admiration, pride, but above all, love.</p>
<p>“i love you,” she mumbled between kisses, reveling in the way he held her tighter. “so fucking much.”</p>
<p>and he didn’t have to say it back, because she already knew. but nonetheless, her heart still flipped right out of her chest when he said, “i love you, too.”</p>
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